Yankees' Teixeira vows to return from leg injury
Mark Teixeira's body is ailing, but his mind is still in the game.
The New York Yankees slugger has been sidelined by a deep bone bruise in his right leg since Aug. 26, but believes he'll still be part of the club's playoff push at some point.
"In my mind, I'm still 100 percent," Teixeira said Thursday. "I'm coming back in my mind. That's the way I have to go about it."
Teixeira is still using crutches to get around, but has received some injections to aid the healing process. He will undergo further medical scans Friday to determine the progress of his leg.
"It's a pretty severe bruise, and because of it, it causes swelling and nerve pain up and down my leg," Teixeira added. "It makes it impossible. My leg doesn't really work right now."
The 35-year-old was enjoying his best campaign since 2010 prior to suffering the injury, blasting 31 homers and racking up 79 RBIs in 111 games.
Rookie Greg Bird has filled in admirably for the veteran first baseman, hitting .241/.319/.458 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 24 contests.